SANTA BARBARA — In September, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics made its final payment on the mortgage for the Eastside Neighborhood Medical and Family Dental Clinics. Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree, who along with her late husband, Lord Paul Ridley-Tree, provided major support to the successful acquisition and design of the buildings, performED a ceremonial burning of the mortgage on Nov. 9 at the Eastside Neighborhood Clinicat 915 North Milpas St., Santa Barbara.
The Eastside Neighborhood Clinic started in 1971 as a three-month pilot project to the treat and prevent sexually transmitted diseases. Later that year, the clinic expanded its practice to provide primary health care to all low-income people as a not for profit and called itself the Freedom Clinic. Ten years later, the clinic relocated to 929 Laguna Street and changed its name to Carrillo Community Medical Clinic. In 1998, Carrillo Community Medical Clinic, Isla Vista Clinic and the Westside Clinic came together to form Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics.In 2002, Carrillo Medical Clinic moved to its current location and became known as Eastside Neighborhood Clinic.
The Eastside Family Dental Clinic was originally called the Carrillo Family Dental Clinic in 1996 by The Santa Barbara Children/Family Dental Health Collaborative (CFDHC). The Carrillo Medical Clinic was the fiscal agent and was one of 11 collaborative partners that formally ran the CFDC for seven years. In September of 2003, CFDHC formalized their relationship with SBNC and was renamed the Eastside Family Dental Clinic. A year later, with the generous support of the community, the dental clinic was moved directly next to the Eastside Neighborhood Clinic.
Today, the two clinics continue to provide essential health services to almost 7,500 patients who had 49,156 visits in 2016. The Eastside Neighborhood Clinic was recently became a Patient-Centered Medical Home, Level 3, a recognition that the highest quality care is being provided. SBNC continues the mission that was started so many years ago, to keep our community healthy by providing the highest quality of care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.